CVC pushes e-procurement to curb corruption

As the Modi government readies to cut red-tape and make processes simple and transparent for private entrepreneurship to flourish, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has also asked the government ministries, departments, PSUs and nationalised banks to use technology, especially e-procurement (electronic procurement), to crackdown on corruption to help the economy to grow.

The commission has asked them to re-engineer government processes by limiting discretion and enhancing accountability so that their organisations and can effectively bring about transparency and efficiency in service delivery system.

The CVC has directed all central ministries, departments and PSUs to start using e-procurement for goods, works and services.

"By using information technology for e-procurement, the process can become faster and the scope of corruption can be reduced to a large extent," said CVC in its recently sent circular.

The impact of implementing CVC guidelines of using e-procurement has drastically cut down the procurement costs for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

"Our procurement cost after implementing the system of e-procurement 100% has come down about 20% in comparison to the procurement done for the same products last year," said Subhash Goswami, director general of ITBP.

"The force has managed to save a lot of money as the difference in the prices of high altitude clothing, ration and surveillance equipment has come down after the introduction of tendering through e-procurement," said an ITBP official.

"Leveraging of technology in functioning of the government and its organisations can address the challenges of corruption to a large extent. The adoption of technology initiatives can mitigate various factors which lead to corruption like lack of transparency, cumbersome procedures and delays in decision making, which affects the ordinary citizen the most," says additional secretary of CVC, Salim Haque in his letter sent to all the central government ministries and departments.

The CVC has asked all the concerned ministries and departments to send their reports of compliance by December 15.